Chicago’s Newest Resident: A Giant Toyota Sign At Wrigley Field

By Bob Marshall 

A topic of debate for quite some time now, a large Toyota billboard that’s staring menacingly over Wrigley Field’s bleachers was unveiled this week.

The sign, a whopping 360 square feet of bright red car advertising, is what many locals believe to be an “eyesore,” obscuring the view of the Chicago skyline from the stadium and staining Wrigley Field’s reputation as the only major league ballpark with landmark status. Also, due to Toyota’s less than respectable recent past, it’s kind of embarrassing for the beloved Chicago Cubs to whore themselves out for an estimated $2.5 million a year, or so one would think. Then again, $2.5 million a year isn’t bad for the defiling of a historical landmark.

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In any case, the sign will become a permanent fixture of the nearly century-old ballpark, and while many are likely to complain for another year or so, the city’s looking to destroy a long row of old buildings near the ballpark to create a shopping mall. By then, no one’s going to even notice Toyota’s sponsorship at all.

More: “Cubs: It’s A Waste Of Life”

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